Wand and Core
by sappheiros
Summary: "Rumor has it that the wand...is embedded into the child's hands. You four must find that child, and bring him or her here." "Yes, Minister." Golden Trio and Draco adventure. POSSIBLE love triangle.
1. Prologue

**All I can say is that I'm really excited about this story, but I make no promises that I'll update FREQUENTLY. I have a busy schedule (don't we all?), so I'll update whenever I can. This is a Post-DH story, so enjoy and please bear with me. ~sappheiros**

**I do not own the Harry Potter Series…If I did, Hermione would have ended up with someone else.**

**P.S. There will be some romance in here. ;)**

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><p>"WHERE IS THE GIRL?" a middle aged man, cloaked in all black shouted. A table was turned over as the man made his way to a corner of the demolished household. Where there was once a warm and loving fireplace, now stood a pile of crushed bricks and ash. Tables and other furniture were either turned over or blasted into bits. A home that could have been the epitome of peace and order was now the very picture of a warzone. Crouched in the corner was a man, who was much older than the intruder.<p>

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear," the intruder pointed his wand directly at the older man. "Where is the girl?" He seethed out. The cloaked man was running out of patience, and he didn't have much of it to begin with.

The aged man in the corner was trembling. The intruder smirked in satisfaction; the old man was finally showing his fear. And why wouldn't he fear him? He was beaten, disarmed, and would likely die should he refuse to cooperate. However, the intruder's smirk disappeared as soon as it appeared. The man in the corner wasn't trembling out of fear. No, his eyes were too sharp, too determined to not let anything slip, too willful…and too confident. The old man was trembling either out of anger, anticipation, relief, or perhaps all three. The cloaked man had had enough and so he struck the other man across the face and brought him to his knees. Blood trickled down a bearded chin, but the old man's lips were upturned into a pained smile.

He spat the blood and wiped at his mouth. "You'll never find her."

"…Wrong answer."

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><p>A young girl of about ten or eleven was running through a forest. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she had to get away.<p>

"_Run! Run as far away from here as you can! If you see anyone with a snake and skull tattoo on their forearm, get away immediately! Do you understand?"_

"_B-but__―__"_

"_Go…" he kissed her soft, curly tresses and held her tightly, even if it was for a brief second. "I'll be fine. I'll find you again, as soon as I can. Just keep safe. That's all I ask of you." A lone tear fell from icy blue eyes and slid down a bearded chin. _

_A bang was heard from the front door and the man quickly pushed the girl out the back door. Almost immediately after she was out, the man conjured up a protective charm. The charm wasn't meant to protect the household, what was the use now? No, it was to keep _her_ out. After the protective charm was made, a Disillusionment charm followed. The girl looked back, hopefully not for the last time, and sprinted into the forest._

She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. Once or twice she fell among the thorn bushes and knotted roots, but she couldn't stop. Tears ran down her pale face, but she had no time to wipe them off. As she ran, her short mahogany hair caught several leaves and twigs. After several minutes of running, she somehow made it out of the forest and into a small wizarding town. She pushed her way through the many people and many vendors. Normally she'd stop and apologize, but it didn't matter anymore. _"Run as far away from here as you can…" _That was her order. Running desperately and blindly, she soon collided into someone and fell onto her back.

"Oh my goodness! Little girl, are you alright?"

"Nice going weasel."

"Sod off ferret! It's not like I actually pushed her down."

"Oy! Will you two knock it off?" A hand appeared in front of the little girl's face. "Here let me help you up."

The girl was about to take hold of the stranger's hand, but as she glanced around at the party she ran into, she saw a strange tattoo on a member's forearm. Forest green eyes immediately clashed with emerald green ones. One set held realization and fear while the other held calmness and reassurance. Despite the stranger's kind eyes, she smacked the hand away, got up, and ran away as quickly as she could.

"_It was one of them! No, if there was one, they could have all been__―__!" _She lost her footing and fell onto the brick road. She could hear footsteps coming up fast behind her. She was being followed by them! On her left was an alley. Seeing as she had no other choice, she got up and desperately ran towards it. She crouched in a fetal position between a few crates, frantically crying and praying that they wouldn't find her.

"…Papa," she sniffled. Four shadows loomed over her. That was it, she was trapped. She held herself tighter as the stranger's hand from before made its way to her head, and braced herself for the worst. She was caught by surprise as she realized that the top of her head was being caressed softly, much like how her papa used to do.

"There now, it's alright. We promise we won't hurt you. Now why don't you tell us your name?"

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><p><strong>It's obvious who the four are, isn't it? Question is, what are they doing there? Well, that will be explained in the later chapters. Please leave a review!<strong>


	2. At least be Civil

**Whoever is reading this, I hope you like it! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.**

**I do not own Harry Potter, and I thank the Harry Potter wikia (which I do not own or contribute to) for the information on Wandlore, character backgrounds (just to be sure), and Ministry Departments.**

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><p><em><strong>Two weeks ago…<strong>_

"Honestly, Harry! Can't you ever go on a mission that doesn't risk injury?" asked a frustrated Hermione as she added a few drops of essence of dittany onto a big gash on Harry's right forearm. He was called to apprehend and interrogate several dark wizards who were suspected of starting another uprising. Unsurprisingly, the mission was a success.

"Ah! Come on Mione, it's not like I got this from a battle," winced Harry. One more drop and the wound would be closed up in no time. After the job was done, Hermione closed the bottle and looked at Harry with an indignant expression.

"Oh? And how exactly did you get this wound?"

"I…uh…splinched myself." Harry muttered, looking anywhere but Hermione's eyes. Silence overcame the two. When Harry risked looking at the witch before him, he immediately felt a sharp pain on his forehead. Hermione had hit him with a book…a very thick one at that. It was foolish of Harry to forget that his friend would _always_ have a book with her. Oh well, better a book to the head than a jinx thrown his way. Knowing Hermione, her jinx would last a very long time.

"You're almost as bad as Ron! I thought you'd mastered Apparition!"

"Excuse me? But what did I do?"

The two former Gryffindors turned to the doorway to see a very familiar face. Ron Weasley stood at the doorway, having an expression of mock hurt.

"You know I don't mean it like that. Apparently, Harry here splinched himself." Hermione huffed as she put away her bottle of essence of dittany back into her purple beaded bag. In their line of work, you'd never know when an urgent mission may occur. It was best to be prepared and to be able to travel as light as possible (that's what Extension Charms were for).

Ron just stared at his long time best friend and broke into a grin. "Blimey mate. Already rusty?" He ducked just in time before a paper weight collided with his head. It was made of oak, so no harm done…to the weight, that is. Ron's grin never faltered.

"I am _not_ rusty Weasley." Harry retorted calmly as he retracted his hand. With a flick of his wand, he summoned the paper weight back onto his desk. "I've just been distracted lately."

"Right," Ron drawled out. "Anyway, you can't afford to be distracted on this one. Same goes for you Mione, but I'm sure that won't be a problem." Hermione rolled her eyes jokingly, but soon became serious.

"Why? Is there another mission?"

Ron nodded. "Kingsley wants us to meet with him. He didn't say for what, but by the tone of his voice, it seems important." The two nodded in understanding and got up and left immediately. The three made their way to the elevators, greeting familiar faces as they walked by. Once inside, the three rested in a comfortable silence.

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><p>It's been three years since Voldemort's defeat. In 1998, almost all of the seventh years had remained in Hogwarts to repeat their last year. The Golden Trio was no exception. Many thought it best to give a proper goodbye to their second home; it didn't feel right to leave when the castle was in ruins. They would leave Hogwarts just as when they first entered it: intact and with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.<p>

Two years after their graduation, the trio had been working for the Ministry under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Compared to the previous seven years, the magical world was somewhat at peace. Of course, there were still a few dark wizards here and there, but nothing the Ministry couldn't handle. As the three stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the Minister of Magic's office, they were met with a familiar (and shocking, but unwanted) pale face.

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><p>"Huh, well if it isn't the <em>'Golden Trio<em>'. I see you're still together after all these years."

"Malfoy? Just what in the bloody hell are you doing here?" Ron shouted. It sounded more like an accusation rather than a question.

"I was ordered to come here Weasel, what else does it look like?" drawled Draco. He was sitting with one leg crossed over the other in one of the waiting chairs outside of the office. He glanced over at the three but his gaze seemed to rest a little longer on one of them. "Kingsley is currently having a meeting with mother and father concerning information on the remaining Death Eaters who eluded capture. With the psychotic snake finally gone, father is more than willing to provide information. It's going to take a while, so I suggest you lot take a seat, preferably away from me."

"That's a load of bull. You're father's a bloody cowa―"

"Ronald!" Hermione snapped. Three pairs of eyes locked onto her, all widened in surprise. "Although what Lucius Malfoy had done was far from noble, and possibly unforgivable, I'm sure he did it for the sake of his family. I mean, all three of them only followed Voldemort just to keep each other safe."

"Hermione," Harry started. "You don't actually forgive them, do you?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing! As Ron was about to say, before he was interrupted by Hermione, Lucius was indeed a coward. All of his actions were only in favor of whichever side seemed more powerful or would have a greater chance of winning. He went in hiding when Voldemort was defeated during the first Wizarding War, shrunk back to the snake's side once he was revived, and went to the Light side by the time he realized Voldemort would lose.

For Draco, oh where to start? True, if he wasn't such a bloody prejudiced git, he and Harry could have been friends. Their first meeting in Madam Malkin's showed only a small portion of how prejudiced the little ferret could be, but the second meeting on the Hogwarts Express (and the years to follow) drew a very thick line between them. Malfoy had openly criticized almost every little thing the trio did, constantly flaunted his wealth, called _Hermione_ a mudblood on more than one occasion, insulted the Gryffindors, almost got Hagrid fired because of the incident with Buckbeak, worked with Umbridge, and aided in Dumbledore's death (although he _was_ slowly dying during that time).

As for Narcissa, well, Harry didn't know what to think of her. Out of the three Malfoys, she seemed to be the bravest. She lied to _Voldemort_ about Harry's death; but then again, it wasn't because she wanted to help the Light side. When it came to Narcissa, she never really took sides, or perhaps, she only did what she had to do for her family. Once Draco was threatened and brought into the world of Death Eaters, _that's_ when she drew the line. Perhaps lying to Voldemort was payback for endangering her son. Although slightly twisted in a way, Harry was able to understand the lengths a mother would go through to save her child. He's seen it in his mother and in Molly Weasley. Therefore, he decided to let his opinion of Narcissa slide.

"Don't get me wrong," Hermione said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I just refuse to hold a grudge. The Malfoys were Voldemort's followers, but at least they're _trying_, albeit with twisted intentions," Draco coughed at that, _"_to help the Ministry in capturing the other Death Eaters. Anyway, as Kingsley said, prejudice is what started the two wars in the first place. The war is over now. I don't see why we can't start anew, or at least act _civil_ towards one another." The three young men stared at her for a moment. Harry and Ron looked away and decided that Hermione was right, as usual. They would at least be _civil _with the ferret.

"…Thank you, Granger." The trio turned their heads sharply to Malfoy. Malfoy…as in _Draco Malfoy_, had actually said 'thank you', and to _Hermione _of all people, no less. "You're not so bad for a mud―" Draco cleared his throat quickly. "For a muggleborn."

"Ah…You're welcome, Malfoy. And…thank you as well." Hermione looked sideways. Silence overcame the four once again, but the atmosphere was a bit more tense. There were three seats on each opposing wall outside the Minister's office. Harry, Hermione, and Ron took the seats opposite of Malfoy, with Ron sitting directly across from him. Harry decided for all their sakes to break the silence.

"So it says in the Prophet that you're in an arranged marriage with Daphne Greengrass' younger sister…er, Astoria, was it?"

Draco visibly winced. "Ugh, you actually read that Skeeter woman's trash articles, Potter?"

"If Skeeter has your name on her weekly articles of _'Eligible Wizard Bachelors Galore', _then wouldn't you read it as well? Just to see what rubbish she lives off of and use her picture for target practice later." Harry seethed out. Ron was glaring down the hallway while fingering his wand. Perhaps Kingsley would allow him to do a short practice before they set out on whatever mission they were to be given? Hermione tried to stifle a giggle with her right hand. She couldn't help but find it amusing that _both_ of her best friends were pasting Skeeter's face onto a training dummy once every week and throwing curses at it. Malfoy took one look at the two men in front of him and smirked.

"And I thought I was the only one who did that. Anyway, it's only an arranged marriage. I can call it off if I want. Mother doesn't care much about '_pureblood marriages'_ anymore. She even made father come to terms with that idea. It's not like there are any _real_ purebloods these days. So long as I'm happy and choose a decent witch, they'll be satisfied as well." Malfoy uncrossed his legs and sat in a more comfortable position, then crossed his arms over his chest.

"So I take it the two of you are also some of Skeeter's victims? If I remember correctly, Potter, you seemed to be hitting it off well with the Weaselette during our last year at Hogwarts," he said with a smirk. He turned to Ron with an amused face. "And you, Weasley, seemed quite _comfortable_ with Granger." All three tensed up a bit. Draco continued, "Almost all of what Skeeter writes is rubbish, but her list of 'eligible wizard bachelors' is accurate. So did Weaselette dump you Potter?"

"And I should tell you, why exactly?"

"I told you my story, didn't I? Anyway, I honestly don't care. I'm just finding a way to pass the time. Unless you have any other ideas?"

"…Fair enough." Harry sighed. "She didn't dump me…well, not exactly. We decided that there wasn't really much to our relationship. I mean, yeah, it was great while it lasted, but Ginny said I was becoming too protective of her. She said I was acting more like an…" Harry coughed out. "Like an older brother." Ginny was right, though, and it took Harry a few weeks to realize it. The breakup wasn't _that_ painful, but it was a rather large blow to his pride.

"Ouch." Draco raised his brow. He turned to Ron and Hermione, expecting an answer, but saying nothing. Ron and Hermione locked eyes, then Hermione gave a sigh and answered for the both of them.

"I suppose you could say it's similar to Harry's case. Ron and I did like each other romantically at one point, but it became awkward later on. I suppose that after being friends for so long, we felt more like siblings. Especially with how we argue a lot about trivial matters."

"At least now, things are the way they were. We can actually bicker without having to worry about it straining our relationship." Ron grinned in Hermione's direction; the grin was gladly returned. He turned to Harry and continued, "And Harry is still our nanny." Appalled by the idea, Harry gave a smack to the back of Ron's head, though it was more of in mock anger.

"Hm, well aren't we quite the quartet?" Draco smirked. "We've all been through messed up times and had…not-so-great relationships. After all these years, who would've thought that we would actually be _civil_ with one another? Well to a degree, I suppose. Must be the war, eh?"

"Yeah, put us through another wizarding war and the four of us would be the best of friends in no time." Harry added. All four young adults exchanged looks and broke into a comfortable laughter. It was at that moment that the Minister and the Malfoy heads came out of the office. Needless to say, a total of three questioning eyebrows were raised. Lucius Malfoy looked at the four young adults before him and gave a tap of his cane. The four immediately stopped and turned their heads to the Malfoy patriarch.

"Well, it seems as if you're all…_comfortable_. Draco," he turned to his only son. "Your mother and I will be leaving now." Draco nodded curtly in response to his father. Lucius took one last look at the four and turned on his heel, a slight upward twitch present on one corner of his mouth.

Narcissa looked to the trio and nodded politely. If one were able to interpret any action, they would've thought that that nod said, '_Please watch over my Draco'_. If one weren't so keen, then it would probably just be a nod in acknowledgment. The matriarch stepped toward her son and gave a small hug and a motherly smile. "Take care darling. We'll see you when you get back." With all said and done, Narcissa left the group and walked to where her husband waited near the elevators. Kingsley then called the four to his attention.

"It seems that you four are starting to get along. That's good." The Minister's mood turned serious. "The four of you, in my office, now." They stood up promptly and did as they were told. There were two leather seats each on either side of the front of Kingsley's desk. Hermione and Harry took the seats on the left, while Draco and Ron took the seats on the right. Kingsley took his seat and turned to the fireplace right behind him, so that the four had a side view of their Minister. He closed his eyes and laced his fingers together, most likely trying to relieve a bit of stress. He opened his closed lids and turned slightly to look at them through the corner of his dark eyes. "What do you know of wandlore?"

All eyes turned to Hermione. Some things never change. "Wandlore is an ancient, complex, and mysterious branch of magic that deals with the history, abilities, and actions of wands. The three basic components in creating a wand are its type of wand wood, its magical core, and its length; although, there are instances when the rigidity of the wand may be considered. The process of creating a wand is more complicated than it seems. You can't just encase a magical core within a stick of wood and expect it to work properly. The core is important, but the wand wood must have magical properties or must be strong enough to sustain the magical power held within. Wandmakers are the ones who know the process but even the best say that there is much to wandlore that even they can't comprehend.

"The wand itself is a quasi-sentient magical tool that is used by wizards and witches to channel their magical powers to cast spells. They're referred to as "quasi-sentient" because they are as close to animate as an inanimate object can get. Wandless magic is possible, but it takes much skill and concentration. Only truly advanced wizards can do such magic."

"Hold up Hermione, there are children who are able to do wandless magic. I mean, we all used to do it when we were young," interrupted Harry.

"Well, yes, but we didn't have much control over it, now did we? The results of our magic from before were based on our emotions. Whenever we were angry or frightened, we would concentrate hard on our wish or desire to do something about the situation at that moment. But as I said, we didn't have much control over it."

Harry thought on it and realized that it was true. The time when he ran away from the bullies and somehow got himself on the school roof, all he thought about was getting away. He hated the haircuts that Aunt Petunia gave him and just wished his hair would grow back as soon as possible. The hideous sweater that he was almost forced to wear shrunk because he hated the idea of wearing it. But he never thought about it shrinking, he just wanted _something_ to happen so he _couldn't_ wear it. The vanishing glass in the reptile room and Marge's inflated flight all happened when he was angry. Indeed, he had no control. He wanted _something_…_anything _to happen that would be in his favor, even if it was just for a moment.

"How'd you know so much about wandlore, Mione?" Ron asked.

"I _read_ Ronald. Those are only the basics though."

Kingsley nodded his head and turned so that he could face the four properly. He rested his chin above laced fingers and propped his elbows on the desk for support. "With full control, _'only truly advanced wizards can do such magic_'," Kingsley repeated. "Reports say that there's a child able to do wandless magic, but it seems that the child _does_ carry a wand."

"What's your point?" Draco asked. "As Granger said, we're all able to do wandless magic at some point. What's so different about this brat that's got the Ministry so worked up about?"

Kingsley closed his eyes yet again. He breathed out deeply through his nose and clenched his hands. "Magic is deep, as is people's thoughts, desires, dreams…and their very being. There are many things that, no matter how experienced we are, we don't understand. With the previous war, you four have encountered very dark magic. However, there are other forms of magic in this world that may not be so dark, but can be just as cruel. The reason why the Ministry is so worked up about this case, Mr. Malfoy, is because," Kingsley let out another deep breath. "Rumor has it that the wand...is embedded into the child's hands. You four must find that child, and bring him or her here."

All four were shocked. Harry regained his composure and asked, "There's another reason, isn't there? Besides the Ministry's curiousity on how that's possible and whether or not the rumor is true, is someone after the child?"

"Mr. Potter, I do not know. But I don't want to find out when it's too late."

"Any leads, Kingsl―Minister?" Ron asked.

"Based on the rumors the child is known to have dark brown curly hair and green eyes. He or she is probably around ten or eleven years of age. The area appears to be in the countryside, but near a wizarding village north of here."

"Not much to get out of that, is there? This could be any child within that area."

"I'm sorry Ms. Granger, but that's all our informants have gathered. This could very well be a hoax, but it is something that's caught our attention. You may all go now. You needn't lie low, but if someone truly is after the child, be prepared and pack whatever you think is necessary or would be of much help. Finish this as soon as you can."

"Yes, Minister." All four said in unison as they stood to leave the office. Once outside the doors and into the elevator, Harry gave the first orders.

"Alright, pack whatever you need and what you think might come in handy. We'll meet in my office in thirty minutes." The elevator came to a halt. As the doors slid open, Malfoy stepped out. He turned his head and smirked at Harry.

"Who made you the leader, Potter?" The door closed before Harry could come up with a witty comeback.

"Mione, Ron? Tell me it's just like old times, when the three of us would go on yet another mission together."

Hermione placed a hand gently on his shoulder and gave a soft smile. "It's just like old times."

Ron clapped him on the back. "But this time, the ferret's with us."

"…I hope Kingsley is sure of what he's doing." Harry groaned.

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><p><strong>Personally, I feel something might be lacking, just not sure what. It's hard to make Draco a bit more civil! Same goes for Narcissa and Lucius. I tried my best on each of the characters, so I'm sorry if some of them are a bit OOC. If you have any advice, or just want to comment, please review! <strong>


	3. Transportation and Accommodation

**Well, here's the next chapter! I don't really have much to say. This is still during the two week period **_**before **_**the events in the prologue. I hope you guys enjoy!**

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><p>Although all three members of the Golden Trio worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, only Ron and Harry worked in the Auror Office. Once the elevator stopped on their floor, the three stepped out and soon separated. Ron went off to his cubicle, but Harry decided to follow Hermione to hers. After all, the meeting place would be in <em>his<em> office and he didn't have much to pack anyway. He was also curious to see what his best friend would be packing.

He knew she was fully capable of preparing for a mission by herself―_she_ was the one who packed all that they needed before they went off to find the horcruxes; but there was nothing wrong in lending a hand, right? As the two entered her office, which was unsurprisingly neat and organized, Harry spotted a big round ball of orange fur on the top of her desk.

"Hermione? Is that _Crookshanks_?" He asked as he pointed at the cat. He hadn't seen the reliable pet ever since they left the Burrow to hunt for the horcruxes. He thought that Crookshanks had just left and went along his business. Hermione placed her beaded bag next to her pet before she turned to look at Harry.

"Yes. Why do you sound so surprised?" she countered as she picked up her dear cat and nuzzled her cheek to his fur.

"It's just…I haven't seen him since. I thought he went off somewhere. Did you find him?"

"As a matter of fact, no I did not. A week ago, when I got back to my flat after work, I saw him sleeping soundly on the couch. It seems like he _knew _where to find me!" She scratched behind his ear as he purred in delight. "Clever little cat, aren't you? I'm debating on whether or not to take him." Harry raised a brow. "Oh don't give me that look Harry! Crookshanks is half-Kneazle."

Harry remained silent. Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "You've forgotten what was written in _'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'_ haven't you?"

"Er, maybe?" Harry scratched the back of his head. Learning about beasts was an interesting topic in school, and Hagrid had done brilliantly for the most part, but there were just some beasts that didn't quite catch his attention.

"Kneazles are independent and intelligent cat-like creatures. They're known for their uncanny ability to detect suspicious characters. They can also be relied upon to guide their owners home. I thought that by taking him, he'd be able to guide us back, should we get lost," she recited perfectly.

Harry nodded in understanding and said, "He knew about Pettigrew and helped Sirius into the castle." Hermione beamed with pride. He sighed in defeat, "Well, since you put it that way…I suppose he could follow. Problem is, how're you going to bring him along?"

"I've thought about that," Hermione's face fell slightly as she placed Crookshanks back onto the desk. "I've considered shrinking or transfiguring him, but I couldn't possibly do that." She stroked his fur. "I suppose I'll ask Ginny to watch over him. She loves cats, and Crookshanks is also quite fond of her." The half-kneazle purred in approval.

"Some other time then?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded and turned to her massive bookshelf. The bookshelf could've been an office-sized edition of the Hogwarts Library. Its height was from floor to ceiling and to get the right books, Hermione had to use a ladder to thoroughly look through her collection.

"Kingsley said that the area would be near a wizarding village, so…ah! Here it is," she said as she traced her finger over the many spines. She stopped on a thick green book and pulled it out. "This book has all the wizarding villages found in England, so we should be able to narrow down our search with this. It also has a bit of information and history on each place."

"Well, throw it here." Harry shrugged and held out his hands while steadying himself. Hermione however, looked hesitant.

"Are you sure you'll catch it?"

"Hermione, I was the Gryffindor Seeker. I'm confident I can catch it," Harry winked teasingly. Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know how much your books mean to you. If it gets damaged, I promise I'll get you a new one, the latest edition even. Besides, knowing you, you still need to look for other books. Just throw them here so you won't have your arms full."

"You do know that a snitch is about the size of a walnut, and not a five pound book, right?" Hermione reminded him as she tossed her book.

Harry managed to catch the book successfully. "Anymore books to bring?" He asked as he placed the book onto her desk and turned to look back at her.

"Just one more. I've already packed my other books. Let's see, it would help if we brought the book on wandlore…there!" She said as she spotted the right one. It was fairly thick, but not as thick as the first. It was a deep blue with silver gilt vines on its spine. "I can handle this one, Harry."

After ensuring that all the necessary equipment was packed into the small beaded bag, and contacting Ginny to pick up Crookshanks, the two made their way back to Harry's office. Hermione told him that he needn't have had to help her pack, but she thanked him all the same. Harry assured her that it was no problem and that he was just glad to help. It was nice to see Crookshanks as well. As the two entered Harry's office, they were met with the sight of Draco Malfoy sitting leisurely on Harry's chair, with his legs propped up on the desk.

"Took you long enough," Draco drawled as he looked at the two. He caught Harry's glare, an expression that showed the hero's disdain at having the ferret's feet on his desk. Draco merely shrugged and placed his feet back onto the floor while reclining comfortably into the chair. Harry's glare did not falter.

"It's good that you're punctual, but exactly _why_ are you acting so _comfortably_ in _my_ office?"

"You said to meet you in your office in thirty minutes. It's been twenty since we last met. No one was in here anyway. If I was to wait on you three for the next ten minutes I might as well make myself comfortable."

Sensing the rising tension between the two former rivals, Hermione decided to change the subject. "So do you have everything you need, Malfoy?"

"Yes, Granger." He patted the left side of his chest. "I packed everything into a small pouch." Indeed, with closer inspection, there was a rather small lump on his black blazer; no doubt made from the pouch in his inner breast pocket. Hermione looked interested.

"Extension charm?"

Draco nodded. Harry, not wanting to waste any more time glaring at the other male present in the room, decided to resume his own packing.

He walked over to a cabinet on the right side of the office and retrieved a rucksack filled with spare clothes. Missions that required a few days or weeks time were not uncommon within the Auror Office, so Harry ensured to always have a set of spare clothes within the confines of his office. After all, those missions usually called for immediate departure. Opening the other cabinet door, he took a sleeping bag and a few bottles of magical health supplements, courtesy of St. Mungo's, and stuffed them into the rucksack. He turned to Hermione, who smiled knowingly, and stretched out her arms that held her beaded bag open. Harry went to her and placed his belongings inside.

Ron came in a few seconds later with his own bag. He turned to Hermione and casually stuffed his belongings into the beaded bag. Meanwhile, Draco looked at the scene with mild interest. "Isn't it common courtesy for the gentleman to hold the baggage?"

"As if you would know anything about common courtesy," Ron muttered under his breath. He turned serious almost instantly. "Right, Kingsley said that the area our target is in is near a wizarding village north of here."

Hermione had already taken out her book and started skimming through it. "I've narrowed down our search to four areas: Appleby, Barnton, Ilkley, and Upper Flagley. Where should we check first?"

"Well, whoever we're looking for should obviously be associated with a wandmaker. Even with Memory Charms, it's too risky to be making wands with Muggles all around the neighborhood. Upper Flagley's out of the question." Draco decided.

"Why don't we check Appleby?" suggested Harry.

"That's the hometown of the Appleby Arrows! You don't actually support them, do you mate?" Ron asked in an accusing manner; the seriousness about the mission thrown out the window. "Just because the Chudley Cannons lost to them in 1998 doesn't mean they're all that great. Besides, the Cannons have been making a great comeback!"

Draco snorted. "I agree that the Arrows aren't that great, but seventh place in the league _is _better than eleventh. The Cannon's Seeker was pretty pathetic. It probably made things easier for the Arrows―not that it was needed."

"Oh sod off Malfoy. You agree with me, right Harry?"

"Well," Harry scratched the back of his head. "Gudgeon _did _perform rather pathetically."

Hermione snapped her book shut. "What is _wrong _with the three of you? We're supposed to be going on a mission that could once again pose a threat to the magical world, as well as possibly jeopardize a child's life! And all you three can discuss is _Quidditch, _of all things? Just pick a village so we can be on our way!"

"Ilkley, then," the three men chorused as they stiffened.

"Good," Hermione huffed as she placed her book back inside her beaded bag. "They have an inn there, and it's already mid-afternoon. I'll contact them and book a reservation. We can get there using the Floo network." She stood to leave and once the door was closed, the three men looked to one another.

"D'you think she saw the part about Ilkley Moor?" Harry wondered.

"You mean the part about the Quidditch Stadium? Hope not," Draco frowned.

"Either way, best not to mention it to her at all. Well, shall we go?" Ron asked as he stepped closer to the door and held it open. Draco got up from his comfortable position on Harry's leather chair and strode out into the hall. Making sure everything in his office was in order, Harry followed suit, nodding to Ron along the way. Ron closed the door with a small click and Harry pointed his wand towards the knob.

"_Colloportus,_" Harry murmured. For extra measure, he cast another spell on the door to ensure no one can enter his office but him―even _with_ magic.

"Paranoid Skeeter's going to sneak into your office?" Ron chuckled.

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>The four 21-year olds made it to the fireplace. Right before they were going to step into the bright green flames, Ron turned to Hermione and piped up, "You still got me and Harry's brooms in your bag, Mione?"<p>

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the redhead. "Yes, why?"

"Well, I thought it'd be a good idea to circle the area tomorrow. You know, get a bird's eye view? That way it'd be easier to find the kid we're looking for." Ron shrugged. After being friends with Ron for so long, Harry knew that there was a hidden motive to the ginger's words. It was then that he realized that by flying around, they'd be able to look for the child as well as be able to catch glimpses of the Quidditch matches going on, if they were close enough to the stadium. Who said you couldn't enjoy yourself while working? Ron's plan would be able to hit two birds with one stone.

"_Smart move, Ron!" _Harry thought as he glanced to his left and saw Malfoy with raised eyebrows. Obviously he was thinking the same thing. Hermione looked slightly impressed with the idea, but her eyes remained skeptic.

"I suppose. Yes, that seems to be a good idea Ron." She turned to Malfoy. "Do you have your broom as well, Malfoy?"

Draco scoffed. "I _always _bring it with me. You never know when it may come in handy." Hermione left it at that and stepped into the fire. Next went Harry, and then Draco, then lastly Ron. Once through, they stood in a lounge filled with a soft, orange glow. The room was nothing too fancy, but it was comfortable and homely. The manager was a short, plump, middle-aged witch. She rushed to their side, a bright smile on her face.

"Oh! You must be Hermione Granger…and these must be your companions." She craned her neck to look behind Hermione. "My oh my, what handsome young men. So, which one's your boyfriend?" the elderly witch said in a hushed tone and winked at her. Hermione blushed a soft red.

"W-What? Oh, n-no. I'm sorry, but neither one of them is my boyfriend. Well, the redhead _was_, but that was a few years back. We're more like siblings now. Er, I'm single, actually," Hermione rambled. She offered the plump woman a smile, but it was obviously an awkward one.

"Really? I could've sworn that one of them was, what with the way he was looking at you." The old witch had a soft look in her eyes. Hermione whipped her head quickly to look at the three men behind her. All three were looking around the lounge, apparently not having heard a thing the women were talking about. The manager tugged on Hermione's sleeve and gestured for her to bend down to her level. Hermione obliged and the woman whispered giddily into her ear.

"Well, if you were to choose, I'd suggest you go for the blonde. He may seem so uptight at first glance, but just imagine the passion being locked up!" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Hermione jerked back, shocked at the woman's boldness. She could feel her cheeks getting warmer by the second. "The bespectacled one seems like a nice choice, as well. When I was your age, we girls quite fancied that type: messy hair, striking eyes, and that selfless and all-around-good-guy air." She sighed dreamily, "Looking at you dearie, I'm sure you're bound to be off the market in no time."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Thank you, uh," Hermione glanced at the manager's nametag, "Mrs. Wickett for your lovely advice. May I have the keys to our rooms?" Mrs. Wickett waved her hand in a dismissive manner.

"Please, call me Miranda," She said with a smile. As she dug into her apron's pocket, she looked at Hermione in an almost apologetic manner. "I'm sorry, but it seems that we only have three rooms left. It's up to you and your companions to decide the sleeping arrangements." And with that, she placed the three keys in Hermione's open palm and left to attend to her other customers. Hermione made her way towards the lounge chairs where her teammates sat.

"Blimey Herms, what happened to your face?" Ron asked in a worried yet amused tone. Hermione's eyebrows shot up. She grabbed her face and realized that she was still blushing.

She coughed quickly and said in a stern voice, "It's nothing." Her blush soon receded. Harry looked at the hand that wasn't covering her face and noticed only three keys.

"Mione, why are you holding only _three_ keys?" Harry asked. Draco leaned forward, a perplexed look on his face as he too got a clear view of the contents in her free hand.

"Well, Mrs. Wickett said that there were only three rooms left. It looks like two of us will have to share." Hermione said as she looked away from them.

Malfoy groaned. "Well then, I call the bed Granger. Between the three of you, you seem like the more appropriate choice."

"Oi! Who said that you were gonna share a room with Mione?" Ron shouted as he stood up. Hermione tried to shush him; he was making too much of a scene. Mrs. Wickett glanced in their direction and tried to stifle a girlish giggle.

"Obviously, I can't share a room with you or Potthead. Unlike you, Weaselbee, I'm not a homosexual." Draco smirked in satisfaction as Ron's ears started to turn a violent shade of crimson. "Besides, if I had a room to myself, which wouldn't be any trouble, I'd be more at risk for one of you to sneak in and do who knows what to me!"

"That's enough!" Harry ordered. He rubbed his temples. "No one and nothing would even try to rape you, Malfoy. They'd run for the hills once they got a good look at you." Malfoy glared while the other two snickered in the background. "Seeing as Hermione's a girl, she should get a room to herself." Hermione shot him a grateful look and placed the other two keys on the table.

"To make things fair, the three of us can play 'rock, paper, scissors' to decide who gets a room and who shares. Winner gets the room."

"The hell is 'rock, paper, scissors'?" Draco demanded.

"It's a simple muggle game that uses three different hand signs. If you make a fist, it means rock. An open hand means paper and well, I'm sure you know how scissors look like. You have to choose one out of the three hand signs and show it simultaneously with your opponents. The rules are simple: rock beats scissors, paper beats rock, and scissors beats paper. Hermione and I will show you two how." Harry faced Hermione and the two proceeded with the game.

They chorused together while shaking their fists, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Hermione won, having beaten Harry's paper with scissors.

"Huh, seems simple enough." Ron nodded.

"This is stupid. Muggles don't know how to have much fun, do they? Why can't we just duel like the wizards we are?"

"Because something would inevitably break if we did. 'Rock, paper, scissors' is anyone's game. It's all about luck." Harry countered.

"If it's any consolation, it's also known as a form of psychological and observational game. You may be able to predict your opponent's hand sign based on his movement or pose. Also, a tense person would usually use rock, or use paper when relaxed or confident that he or she wouldn't lose."

"Look, can we just start the game already?" Ron interrupted. Draco, Ron, and Harry held out their fists and started their game. All three chose different hand signs.

"HA! Scissors beats paper, Potter."

"Not so fast, ferret. My rock beats scissors."

"No one won! Each of our hand signs cancels the other. We need to do another round." The second round commenced and ended with Ron as the victor. He grinned while showing off his 'scissors'.

"You were a second late Weasel."

"No I wasn't. You're just delusional because I won."

"Fine. You used a Confundus charm on us."

"WHAT! Harry, tell Malfoy he's being delusional _and _a sore loser."

Harry glared in response. "…Best two out of three."

"You're both off your knockers, right Mione?" As Ron turned to face their female best friend, all three were surprised to see that she was nowhere in sight. A second later, they heard a door close shut. The three men looked at one another once more. Ron flicked his wand at the key and caught it before Harry or Draco could reach for it. He hightailed right out of the lobby and called back from over his shoulder, "See you two at dinner!"

The former rivals groaned in unison. Harry grabbed the key and left with Draco to 'their' room. They climbed up the stairs and along the corridor, side by side, shoving each other throughout the walk.

* * *

><p>"As I said with Granger, I call the bed Potter."<p>

"How about we both sleep on a bed, seeing as we both have no intention of sleeping on the floor?" Harry suggested as he pulled out his wand. Draco, however, looked appalled.

"Perhaps I was wrong Potter. Weaselbee isn't the homosexual after all."

"I meant we should magically split the bed! It's a queen-sized bed anyway. We'll just put it back together when we leave."

"You mean _you_ will put it back together when we leave. After all, it was _your_ idea." Draco shrugged. Harry glared daggers at the Malfoy heir for the umpteenth time that day. Seeing as it was late and glaring would only increase his exhaustion, he flicked his wand so the two beds would split equally. However, there was a slight problem: the beds fused back together as soon as they split. Harry flicked his wand again, only to have the same result occur. Draco pushed him aside and pulled out his wand.

"Your wrist movement is off. Let me do it." Draco swished his wand, but his actions resulted in the same way as Harry's. Both he and Harry combined their efforts in trying to split the bed, but with each effort the bed got increasingly harder to split until it would not budge at all. "The bloody hell is wrong with this bed?"

During the whole ordeal, Harry had been gripping the key, leaving an imprint on the palm of his left hand. As his grip loosened to release the tension, his eyes widened in horror as he stared down at the key. "Oh shit."

"What?"

"According to this keychain, this is a room for couples." Harry said as he threw the key towards Draco. He made his way to the bedside table and picked up a pamphlet and started to skim it. "Seeing as the room is for couples, the bed is charmed so that it won't be separated or split."

"Why is that?" Draco asked as he reached for a pamphlet on the other table.

"Well, this is also a sort of therapeutic room, where '_petty spats will soon amend, so lovers' quarrel shall meet its end'_." Harry looked at the pamphlet as though it were a death sentence. His skin tone was starting to develop a greenish hue.

"So if a couple were to sleep in here, bicker and decide to separate the bed since there's no couch and no one would want to sleep on the floor, the bed fixes itself so as to force the angry couple to sleep next to each other?" Malfoy said through clenched teeth. Harry nodded grimly. Two seconds had passed when the two men bolted straight for the door. As they pushed and shoved each other once more in trying to twist the knob, a force swept them off their feet and managed to make them land on the bed, laying flat on their backs side by side.

"And this is where I hate magic." Harry growled.

"Just shut up, Potter."

* * *

><p><strong>I was planning on adding a bit more, but I suppose this is long enough. I noticed that for the last two chapters, Harry has been the one that gets the last word, er, dialogue. So, I decided to let Malfoy end this chapter. Suggestions (if any) will be put into consideration.<strong>


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